Clearer assembly for drafting rolls



April 1951 M. e. WHITEHURST 2,979,783

CLEARER ASSEMBLY FOR DRAFTING ROLLS Filed Jan. 2, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 MARQUE; G. WHTEHLIRST BY ammw m k ATTORNEYS April 18, 1961 wHlTEHUR'ST 2,979,783

CLEARER ASSEMBLY FOR DBAFTING ROLLS Filed Jan. 2, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORI MARCUS; Gwuwsnmzsr ATTORNEYS nited States Patent ,CLEARER ASSEMBLY FOR DRAFIING ROLLS Marcus G. Whitehurst, Bessemer City, NC, assignor to Ideal Industries, Inc., Bessemer City, N.C., a corporation of North Carolina Filed Jan; 2, 1959, Ser. No. 784,562

13 Claims. (Cl. 19-139) Thisinvention relates to an improved clearer assembly for removing loose fibers, lint and other light material from textile rolls such as the drafting rolls of drawing frames, for example.

There are many different types of devices now available for removing lintand the like from the working surface of fluted and cushion type drafting rolls. Such clearing devices include board type clearers which are covered with a cloth material and rest against the rolls, others include suction devices or combinations of wiping and blowing devices. Some of such devices have performed quite satisfactorily but have been expensive, particularly from a manufacturing standpoint, with the result that current economic pressures in the textile industry have created a demand for roll clearing devices which can be marketed at relatively low cost and which would perform more efficiently than the usual low-cost types of clearing devices, such as the board type clear- :ers. heretofore described.

clearer assembly for the drafting rolls of a drawing frame which includes supporting brackets which may be readily installed on existing drawing frames, without modifications or changes being required in existing parts of the drawing frames, and which brackets are provided with means for supporting opposite ends of bars in spaced relation to respective top and bottom drafting rolls and wherein such means facilitates adjustment of f-the bars so that pliable or resilient wiper blades extendiug from the bars may engage the respective rolls, although the spacing between adjacent .sets of top and bottom rolls may have to be varied from time to time according to the character of the material being drafted.

and bottom rolls, other parts being broken away for purposes of clarity;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing a modified form of wiper blade support bars and means for connecting the same to the respective support brackets;

Figure 4 is an exploded partial elevation showing the connection between the Wiper blade support bar and the respective bracket in the lower left-hand portion of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an isometric view of the modified form of the invention showing the hood or cover in raised position, with portions broken away, and omitting all but the rear set of top and bottom rolls for purposes of clarity.

Referring more specifically to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, portions of a drawing frame or machine are illustrated to which a first embodiment of the invention is applied. The drawing frame comprises a series of top and bottom rolls 1114 and 11'--14, respectively, whose reduced opposite ends are journaled in bearings 15 mounted in respective groups of roll stands or bearing blocks 16. Roll stands 16 are adjustably secured to the upper surfaces of roll stand supports 17 suitably mounted on the frame of the machine, as is well known. Machines of this type are usually equipped with pivot blocks 20 which are also adjustably mounted on the respective roil stand supports 17, there being one of the pivot blocks 20 rearwardly of each group of roll stands 16 on each roll stand support 17. j

Pivot blocks 20 are of substantially the .same height as roll stands 16 and each has a pivot shaft 21 mounted in a groove 22 in which the pivot shaft 21.is secured by means of a screw 23. Pivot shafts 21 extend inwardly with respect to each roll section and have respective leg portions 24 of a roll cover 25 pivotally mounted thereon adjacent the respective pivot blocks 20. Roll cover 25 is in the form of a channel having an upper wall or web 26 and depending front and rear flanges 27, 28; Web 26 prises upper and lower groups of wiper blades or ele- The wiper blades, which are preferably made from a synthetic rubber material, such as Neoprene, engage the rolls in tangential relation thereto but extend beyond the point of tangency so as to engage and roll any fibers which tend to adhere to the rolls, so as to interrupt cohesion between the fibers and the rolls. The fibers will not adhere to the wiper or clearer blades so that, when the cohesion between the fibers and the rolls is interrupted by the respective wiper blades, the fibers merely fall downwardly between and away from the sets of rolls.

" Figure l is a transverse vertical sectional view through the drafing rolls in one roll section of a drawing frame and showing, in cross-section, one form of the improved clearer assembly;

Figure 2 is an isometricview of the structure shown in Figure l, but omitting all but the rearmost set of top ments 31, 31, there being one of said wiper blades for each upper and lower drafting roll. Wiper blades- 31, 31 are each made from a strip of semi-rigid pliable material such'as leather, rubber, plastic or the like. It is particularly desired that wiper blades 31, 31' be made from Neoprene or other similar material which'will readily shed any lint or other textile material picked" up thereby from the respective rolls as the fibers F being processed pass between the top and bottom rolls. In other words, lint and the like will not stick or adhere to a smooth strip of Neoprene.

Wiper blades 31, 31' extendoutwardly from therespective rolls at an angle and their outer portions'are suitably secured to respective rigid support bars 32,322 which are preferably in the ,form of relatively narrow strips of sheet metal and whose opposite ends are turned inwardly to form cars 34, 34' which are adjustably secured to respective support brackets 35, 35', .as will be later described. Upper support brackets 35 are .each

26 of cover 25, as by the screws 36. Thus, whenever a 3 cover 25 is raised or lowered, wiper elements 31 are raised and lowered therewith.

It will be-noted that brackets 35' underlie opposite .endaportions of lower drafting rolls 11-.-1 4, and each has an upwardly extending rear portion 40 integral therewith which is pivotally mounted on the pivot shaft 21 carried by the respective pivot block 20. As best shown in Figure 2, the upper ends of portions 40 of brackets 35' are disposed between legs 24 of cover 25 and bear against respective torsion springs 41 loosely encircling the respective pivot shafts 21. One end of each torsion spring '41 is turned outwardly, as at 42, and engages the front surface of the respective pivot blocks 20. The other end of each torsion spring 41 is curved in back of and engages the inner surface of the upright arm 40 of the respective bracket 35, as at 43. Thus, torsion springs 41 associated with each assembly normally urge the horizontal portions of brackets 35 upwardly so as to cause the upper portions of lower wiper blades 31' to bear against the lower rear surfaces of respective drafting rolls 11'--14'.

Lower brackets 35' are preferably mounted in the manner described so the lower wiper blades and brackets may be moved downwardly away from rolls 11'-14' for cleaning the same, replacing the same or adjusting the same, or for changing or adjusting the bottom rolls. .It should be noted that the wiper blades extend beyond the points at which they contact respective rolls, with respect to the blade holders 32, 32'.

Now, in order to facilitate adjusting wiper blades 31, "31' as to angularity and spacing with respect to each other and with respect to the drafting rolls, upper and lower support brackets 35, 35' have respective groups of longitudinally spaced holes or openings 44, 44' therein and the cars 34, 34' of wiper blade supports 32, 32' have respective screws or bolts 45, 45' therethrough for securing the wiper blade supports 32, 32' to the respective brackets. Each bracketais provided with a greater number of holes 44 or 44' than the number of support bars attached thereto. It is apparent that wiper blade supports 32, 32' may be adjusted about respective screws 45, 45 and the screws may be removed and positioned in' different holes 44, 44' according to the displacement between adjacent sets of top and bottom drafting rolls so wiper blades 31, 31' may engage respective drafting rolls at the optimum angle for most efficient removal of fibers picked up by the respective rolls.

It will be noted that the lower wiper elements, in particular, extend beneath the rolls rather than between the same so as to provide openings between adjacent'wiper elements 31' which correspond to the openings between adjacent sets of top and bottom rolls 11-14, 11'--14'. Thus, lintand the like may fall freely from the web of fibers F and from the bottom wiper elements downwardly 1 below the level of the .roll section.

Modified form of the invention the same reference characters with the small letter a added, in order to avoid repetitivedescription;

Inthe first form of "the invention, wiper blades 31, 31' -may be secured to respective wiper blade supports 32, a 32'. by a suitable adhesive, orby meansof rivets, screws or the like; In Figures3, 4 and 5, however, it will be noted that wiper blades 31a, 31a are attachedto medial .portions of elongated channel-shaped support bars 50, r 50? which are preferably made from a thin flexible material, such as sheet spring steel, and each of which is {substantially U-shaped in cross-section. One flange of each support 50, 50' has an indentation 51 extending longitudinally thereof so that each support 50, 50' may he slid over the outer edge of the respective wiper blade and held snugly thereagainst as opposed ends of the supports 50, 50' (which extend beyond opposite ends of respective wiper blades) may be inserted in respective angularly arranged slots or notches 53, 53' formed in the respective brackets 35a, 35a.

It will be noted in Figures 3 and 5 that brackets 35a, 35a are provided with groups of said angularly arranged slots 53, 53' and there are a substantially greater number of such slots in each bracket than there are'wiper blades connected to the respective bracket, so the supports for the respective wiper blades may be positioned in different slots to accommodate variationin spacing of the drafting rolls. Slots 53, 53 are each of a width somewhat less than the normal width or thickness of opposed ends of support bars 50, 50 so that, as said opposed ends are inserted in the respective slots 53, 53','they are compressed slightly by the walls of the slots so as to elampingly retain wiper blade supportsHSO, 50' therein. It is apparent that this facilitates ease of replacement of the wiper blades and also facilitates ease in adjusting the position of wiper blades 31a,31a' with respect to the drafting rolls. I

In the drawings and specification there have been set forth preferred embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim: a t

1. The combination with a drawing frame having top and bottom drafting rolls, of a clearer assembly comprising a separate resilient wiper blade engaging and extending outwardly from each roll, an elongated support bar extending substantially parallel to each roll and to which the outer portion of each wiper blade is attached, an upper pair of spaced brackets overlying the top rolls, a lower pair of spaced brackets underlying the bottom rolls, means adjustably securing opposed ends of the support bars to the respective upper and lower pairs of brackets, and means supporting said brackets for pivotal movement adjacent the rear portions thereof.

2. A structure according to claim 1 including resilient means normally urging said lower brackets upwardly whereby corresponding wiper blades are resiliently maintained in engagement with respective bottom drafting rolls.

3. In adrawing' frame having spaced groupsof bearing blocks thereon, top and bottom drafting rollsjournaled in spaced groups of said bearing blocks, a stationary pivot block disposed rearwardly of each group of bearing blocks, a pivot shaft carried by each pivot block, and a cover disposed above the top rolls and being pivotally mounted on said pivot shafts; the combination therewith of a pair of spaced upper brackets attached to said cover, a pair of spaced lower. brackets underlying said bottom rolls, said upper and lower brackets being located adjacent said bearing blocks, each lower bracket having an 'upwardly projecting portion thereon pivotally mounted on the respective pivot shaft, spaced support bars extending between and adjustably secured to the respective upper and lower brackets, an elongated wiper blade attached to each support bar and extending inwardly therefrom and engaging the periphery of a respectiveroll, and

spring means normally urging said lower brackets upwardly to thereby maintain the lower wiper blades in engagement with the bottom drafting'rolls. y if 4. A structure according to claim 3 'n which said spring means comprises a torsion spring encircling each of said pivot shafts and having one end engaging the respective pivot block and having its other end engagingtlie upwardly projecting portion on the respectivellower bracket.

5. A structure according to claim 3 in which said support bars are adjustably secured to respective brackets by means of individual screws, each end of each support bar having a projecting ear portion thereon through which the respective screw extends, and each of said brackets having a plurality of holes therethrough for receiving said screws, there being a greater number of said holes in each bracket than there are support bars secured thereto.

6. A structure according to claim 3 in which each support bar is substantially U-shaped in cross-section with opposed flanges thereof being normally biased apart and wherein each of said brackets is provided with a plurality of angularly extending substantially parallel and open ended slots therein, the support bars being secured to the respective brackets by opposed walls of respective slots clampingly engaging distal surfaces of the flanges of the respective support bars, and said wiper blades being attached to said support bars by the flanges of the support bars clampingly engaging opposed surfaces of the outer portions of respective wiper blades.

7. A structure according to claim 6 in which each bracket is provided with a greater number of said slots than there are support bars secured thereto.

8. In a drawing frame having spaced groups of hearing blocks thereon, top and bottom drafting rolls journaled in said bearing blocks, a stationary pivot block disposed rearwardly of each group of bearing blocks, and a pivot shaft carried by each pivot block; the combination therewith of a pair of spaced lower brackets underlying said bottom rolls adjacent said bearing blocks, each bracket having an upwardly projecting portion thereon pivotally mounted on the respective pivot shaft, spaced support bars extending between and having opposed ends secured to the respective brackets, an elongated wiper blade attached to each support bar and extending upwardly therefrom at an angle and engaging the periphery of a respective roll, each support bar being spaced beneath a respective bottom roll to permit lint and other light material to fall between adjacent support bars, and spring means normally urging said brackets upwardly to thereby maintain the lower wiper blades in engagement with the bottom drafting rolls.

9. A structure according to claim 8 in which said spring means comprise a torsion spring encircling each of said pivot shafts and having one end engaging the respective pivot block and having its other end engaging the upwardly projecting portion on the respective bracket.

10. A structure according to claim 8 in which said support bars are secured to respective brackets by means of individual screws, each end of each support bar having a projecting ear portion thereon through which the respective screw extends, and each of said brackets having a plurality 'of longitudinally spaced holes therethrough for receiving said screws, there being a greater number of said holes in each bracket than there are support bars.

11. A structure according to claim 8 in which each support bar is substantially U-shaped in cross-section with opposed flanges thereof being normally biased apart and wherein each of said brackets is provided with a plurality of spaced angularly extending, substantially parallel and open ended slots therein, the support bars being secured to the respective brackets by opposed walls of respective slots clampingly engaging distal surfaces of the flanges of the respective support bars, and said wiper blades being attached to said support bars by the flanges of the support bars clampingly engaging opposed surfaces of the outer portions of respective wiper blades.

12. A structure according to claim 11 in which each bracket has a greater number of said slots therein than there are support bars.

13. For use with a textile drafting machine having spaced groups of bearing blocks thereon, top and bottom drafting rolls journaled in said bearing blocks, a stationary pivot block disposed rearwardly of each group of bearing blocks, a pivot shaft carried by each pivot block, and a cover disposed above the top rolls and being pivotally mounted on said pivot shafts; the combination of a pair of upper support brackets adapted to be attached to said cover, a pair of spaced lower support brackets adapted to underlie said bottom rolls adjacent said bearing blocks, each lower support bracket having an upwardly projecting portion thereon for pivotally mounting the same on the respective pivot shafts, spaced support bars extending between and adjustably secured to the respective upper and lower brackets, and an elongated wiper blade attached to each support arm and extending inwardly therefrom for engaging the periphery of a respective roll.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,600,983 Hartley Sept. 28, 1926 

